


Jim & Maggie

by DepressedDaisy



Series: The Newsroom Character Studies [3]
Category: The Newsroom (US TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Study, F/M, Relationship Study, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:41:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29204526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DepressedDaisy/pseuds/DepressedDaisy
Summary: They just like each other. It’s as simple as that.They like each other and it feels like a curse.
Relationships: Jim Harper/Maggie Jordan
Series: The Newsroom Character Studies [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2144208
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Jim & Maggie

It’s a problem when they meet, when she has a boyfriend, and he’s her new boss, and then he’s dating her best friend, and they’re suddenly dealing with a whole clusterfuck of emotions they weren’t ready for – except it’s not suddenly, it’s been building for over a year, and they were just in denial about it, so it feels sudden.

It’s too much when it gets out of hand, and it pretty much causes their lives to spin out of control. He can’t handle going to work anymore, or really doing anything anymore, so he moves across country on a whim, and she loses everyone important in her life – her boyfriend, her best friend, and her confidant – so she chases a story she clings to as a lifeline, no matter how dangerous it is, because it’s the only thing she can think about now without crying, and both come back changed. He’s still away, detached, and she’s… broken.

It’s annoying afterwards, when, after all they’ve been through, and wanting to be done with it, wanting to hate each other, they still don’t really mean it, and just can’t help but keep fluctuating towards each other’s lives.

It’s stupid when they’re supposed to finally be okay, to have finally moved on. He’s dating someone else, she’s dating someone else, and they’re actually friends now, and this is a normal they could both get comfortable with – except they can’t, because no matter what they do, whatever shit they go through, whomever they date, how friendly they are, how hostile they are, it’s _still there_ , holding on at the edges of their hearts and minds, despite being constantly pushed away.

It’s life’s cruel joke, when they’ve finally given themselves a chance, they’re finally “where they’re supposed to be”, and they’re still yanked apart. They’ve spent years working and living side by side, ignoring what their hearts were telling them, and when they at last just decide to give in and listen to their feelings, it’s less than a week until they both get their dream jobs – which should just be a good thing, not a bait-and-switch – and they have to be together hundreds of miles away from each other.

It’s always there. They like each other. They can’t help but like each other. Sometimes it’s disguised as hate, sometimes it turns into love, but, fundamentally, unequivocally, frustratingly, constantly, they just like each other.

It’s been a curse too many times. It’s been manageable, too. But sometimes… – from now on, mainly all the time – it’s the thing that keeps them together. That makes them better together. The thing that they hang on to, at the end of a long day, or the dealing with yet another drama. The thing they cherish, on the times they work together, or lazy afternoons at home. It’s what keeps bringing them back to each other, keeps making them complete each other. For better or for worse, for the rest of their lives.

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted there to be a continuity thread all along the seasons of The Newsroom with these two, so I made one. This relationship changed so much, so many times, to the point that it was hardly recognizable from what they started out as, by the time they finally got together. Not saying that's a bad thing, it's really good that they both had a chance to learn and grow, together and apart, but they could have used a tad more consistency.


End file.
